Use newspapers to go ‘Back to the Earth’

Thursday

Jul 11, 2013 at 7:23 PMJul 11, 2013 at 7:28 PM

Your newspaper can be the perfect accompaniment to that first cup of morning coffee on the patio or while relaxing in a favorite backyard chair at the end of a day. But did you know your newspaper can also do a lot to help make your lawn and gardening tasks easier and your plants the envy of the neighborhood?

Marsha Miller/The Daily Ardmoreite

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the final part of a series. Share your own experiences or suggestions in getting Back to the Earth by emailing us at drichardson@oakridger.com or mailing us at 785 Oak Ridge , Oak Ridge, TN 37830.

Your newspaper can be the perfect accompaniment to that first cup of morning coffee on the patio or while relaxing in a favorite backyard chair at the end of a day. But did you know your newspaper can also do a lot to help make your lawn and gardening tasks easier and your plants the envy of the neighborhood?

Environmentally friendly, newspapers can be effective as the first line of defense when it comes to preventing weeds, as well as keeping plants and soil cool and moist. How? It’s a quick and easy process. Simply place several layers of moist newspaper around plants. Cover with mulch and that’s it. All that’s needed for the rest of the growing season is watering and normal maintenance.

And if a weed-free growing season was the only benefit newspapers offered, it would be great. But, wait there’s more. Not only can newspapers help your plants thrive and your garden look great this year, over time, the paper breaks down, adding a natural enriching compost element to the soil.

Do-it-yourself seedling pots made from newspapers are another way to go green. Fold a single sheet of newspaper in half lengthwise. Use a can of soup, vegetables or fruit as a mold. Center the can at top of the length of paper and roll to the end. Fold the bottom of the paper toward the center in four sections. Turn right side up and tap on a solid surface to secure the bottom folds. Slide the can out. If needed a dab of glue will hold the bottom folds more securely in place. Another dab of glue can be added to hold the roll together at the top.

Add moist soil (use another sheet of newspaper as a funnel to make the job easier and less messy). Plant your favorite seeds and wait for those seedlings to appear. When it’s time to transplant, tear the pot open and slip the plant out or simply open the bottom of the pot and place your new plant and pot into a larger container or directly into the garden.

Newspaper also makes a great insulator when using unusual items as containers. Maria Wilkinson from Maria’s Garden, who likes to use vintage finds as containers, said metal objects, like vintage minnow buckets, make really great containers, except for one problem.

“I found during the heat of the summer, the metal simply gets too hot, and plants don’t do well. Then I discovered I could solve the problem by lining the inside of those kinds of metal containers with newspaper before adding soil and plants. The paper acts as a buffer, keeping the soil cooler and even helps conserve moisture,” she said.

Other ideas include:

• Bind a stack of papers together to use as a mat that will keep knees clean in the garden. Take it a step farther by cutting strips of paper and weaving a cover for the mat.

• Use newspaper between logs as kindling for outdoor fire pits.

• Create disposable sandals for those quick trips to the garden or yard. Stack newspapers and cut out the outlines of a pair of shoes to create the soles. Cut strips of paper to use as a straps across the instep of each foot. Secure the strap about midway between the papers making the sole of each shoe. At intervals, staple around the outline of the sole.�